Friends
by Baltimore Raven
Summary: Ever wonder how Frank and Nancy stopped hating each-other and became friends? One-shot.


**A/N: First posted fanfic! Rated K+ for mild violence. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, or any affiliated characters. **

"Look, I know it's a dangerous assignment, but out of all the people in the world to protect me, why _him?!" _Nancy exclaimed to her father, Carson.

"I agree – for once." Frank added. "I don't want to be dragged around by her!"

Carson had to suppress an amused smile. Frank and Nancy could barely tolerate being in the same room on a good day, and he knew the concept of chasing a lead together sounded like absolute horror to them. "I'm sorry, kids."

Nancy narrowed her eyes at her father for his use of the term 'kids' while knowing that she hated it. She was sixteen, which was a teenager; not a child. Carson went on, though,"But look on the bright side; you've both known each-other for a long time and you're both fantastic detectives! I don't see how you could be bored!"

"It's not the boredom I'm worried about." Frank muttered under his breath. "After all, who can be bored while she's running her mouth?"

Nancy, who had heard him, turned on the young man furiously. "You take that back!"

"Make me!" he shouted, turning so that they were face-to-face.

"I will!"

"Frank?" Carson started. Both teens whipped their heads around to look at him. "I don't that's a good idea. Nancy is more than capable of taking down someone even your size."

Putting his hands on his hips, Frank said, "Oh, I doubt that."

Nancy threw him an indignant look that said _Oh, really?_ before grabbing onto his arm and throwing him to the ground in a judo move. In a huff, she stormed out and the two men heard a car door slam from the garage.

"You'd better get out there before she leaves." Carson said.

"She can take care of herself, you know." Frank told him as he got up and brushed himself off.

"Perhaps, but she's not bulletproof and believe me, she will not hesitate to leave without you."

The concern in Carson's voice sealed it. Frank, though he would have rather strangled himself, ran out the front door to see Nancy's car backing out of the garage. Running up to it, he put his hand on the front passenger door handle and Nancy stopped the car, though she locked the doors.

"What do you want, Hardy?" she snapped after rolling down the passenger side window.

"Look, I don't want to work together any more than you do." He reached down into the car and pulled the door lock, only to have the stubborn girl immediately lock it again.

"If you don't want to lose an arm then I'd suggest removing it from the car." she told him briskly.

Frank moaned. "But your dad asked me to look out for you. So I guess we're stuck together for a while."

Nancy banged her head back against the headrest before unlocking the car door and letting Frank get in.

"Well, that tears it. I am never letting your dad talk me into being your bodyguard ever again." Frank muttered as he and Nancy got into the car once more.

* * *

"Dead end... A _dead end_…" Nancy shook her head angrily. "The place wasn't even there!" she turned the key in the ignition started the drive back towards River Heights.

Frank crossed his arms, glaring straight ahead. "I can't believe you got the address wrong." He said after a few minutes.

"Oh, _I_ got the address wrong?!"

"Yes, you did!"

"Well, last I checked you were the one that wanted to tag along!"

"I never wanted to and you know it!"

"Oh, sure you didn't!" Nancy retorted sarcastically. Suddenly, the engine started to choke and the car went into a stop-and-go motion. "Are you kidding me?!" she exclaimed, her head banging into the headrest repeatedly. Glancing down at the gas gauge, her heart fell as she registered the needle in the red danger zone near the E.

The car stuttered a ways further before it finally stopped, leaving Nancy momentarily speechless. Finally, she found her voice after hitting the steering wheel. "That did _not_ just happen!"

"I hate to state the obvious, Nancy, but the E doesn't stand for 'enough.'"

"Okay, that's it." Nancy unbuckled and threw the seatbelt off of her body. Getting out of the car, she started down the road.

Frank quickly followed suit and stepped out of the vehicle, but he stood behind the door as he called, "What are you doing?"

"I'm walking." Nancy said. "Don't try to follow me."

"I certainly wish I didn't have to." Frank told her as he started after her.

Spinning around, Nancy threw him an indignant look. "Newsflash, genius: you don't!"

"I promised your father I would keep an eye on you. Can't possibly see how I agreed to that right now, though, I don't care how desperate he was."

"Frank, he has good reason." Nancy said.

"Yeah, I know he has good reason. But I also think he's a little paranoid after what happened to your mother-" Nancy's eyes widened and Frank caught himself, realizing what he had said. "Nancy, I…"

She spun away, walking quickly away to hide the tears that were forming.

"Nancy!" he ran forward and grabbed her wrist to get her attention.

But she spun around, tears running down her cheeks as she snatched her wrist away. "Stay away from me!" she yelled.

Frank had screwed up, big time. And he knew it.

Now speechless, Nancy simply turned and walked on. She crossed her arms while taking fast steps away. Frank slowly proceeded after her; always staying about thirty feet back. He honestly felt disgusted with himself. Without really meaning to, he had blamed Carson's paranoia Nancy's deceased mother. He practically hated himself.

So, he gave Nancy the space she well-deserved.

Hours later, they finally came upon a small town near River Heights. It was smaller than Nancy's hometown, but larger than the stereotypical middle-of-nowhere small town. Of course, though, this town _was_ in the middle of nowhere.

Nancy headed straight for one of the few buildings within sight: a 24-hour gas station, which was a miracle in a place like that. Frank followed her inside without question.

The titian-haired detective headed straight for a display of red gas jugs. Picking up a mid-sized one, she headed for the checkout counter. "I need this and three gallons of gas from pump number one." She told the attendant, a guy who was probably in college by the looks of him.

"Sure," he responded. "That'll be twelve dollars."

While Nancy pulled some money from her pocket, Frank came up behind her. "Nancy, you're not seriously going to carry that all the way back to the car."

"What do you think?"

Frustrated, Frank sighed. That girl was so exasperating! "Why don't we just call for help?"

"No cell reception all the way out here, genius." She called without looking at him while she walked out the door into the night.

"Sorry, we don't have a phone either." The attendant said apologetically. "Small town like this, we just don't need it."

Nodding, Frank went out after Nancy. He found her filling up the gas can she had bought.

"Look, Nancy-" he stopped when a middle-aged man appeared right behind the girl, holding a knife threateningly. Immediately, Frank pulled Nancy behind him and grabbed the weapon-wielding hand before punching his face. The man cried out and slumped to the ground.

Nancy looked on with wide eyes until it was all over, never seeing an opening for her to jump in. "Thanks," she said quietly, thinking maybe she had misjudged her lifelong acquaintance.

The man lying on the ground began to stir behind Frank, who was only looking at Nancy. He started to stand, again holding the knife.

"Lookout!" Nancy cried as she rushed past Frank to shove a kick into the man's temple, this time taking the knife and throwing it across the ground. He was out cold.

"Find the police station; I'll keep this guy here." Frank told her quickly. Nancy began to run, but came to a halt at the edge of the concrete. "Nan, go!"

_Nan?_

She didn't question the name any further. With a single nod, Nancy ran into the night.

* * *

In the police station, the two teens sat in wooden chairs as they waited for Carson to show up.

"Thank you… for saving me today." Nancy said suddenly. "And I'm sorry I acted the way I did; I know you were only trying to help."

"No, I deserve it." Frank told her honestly.

"You don't, though. All you were trying to do was protect me."

"Not because I wanted to, though."

Nancy found a reluctant smile creeping onto her face. "But you did it, anyways."

"Well you're welcome, then, if you want to make me a big hero over it. But you saved me too, so I guess I owe you one."

"Let's just say we're even."

Frank nodded. "That sounds good."

"Friends?"

"Friends."

**A/N: Thanks so much for reading! **


End file.
